Who Will Watch Your Little One While You're Away?
Have you decided that you want to join the work force now that your child is a bit older? Perhaps you and your spouse are having trouble making ends meet and you are going to take a part-time job or even a full-time job. Or, it might be that you took a short leave of absence when you had your baby and your time away from work is almost up. Whatever the circumstances behind why you are going to work, probably the biggest question on your mind is, "Who will watch my little one?" From asking a close friend or a family member to help out to enrolling your child in a day care program, here are some ideas that might help you.
At-Home Care
If you are most comfortable leaving your child right in your own home, you have more than likely already thought of asking your mother or your mother-in-law to watch your child. However, if they can't, there might be another friend whose kids are in school or whose kids are now grown up who would be happy to make some extra money by watching your child in your home. If you will be working only part-time, have you considered trading childcare with another mother? One of your friends, maybe even a neighbor, might be very happy to have you watch her child or her children so that she can have time to do things like shopping and having lunch with friends.
Professional Day Care
If your child is older, say about three years old, you might have decided that he or she is ready to go to a professional day care facility. If so, he or she might not be very excited about the prospect of being away from you at first. However, once he or she is established and is comfortable with another adult watching him or her, once your child has experienced the fun of playing with other children, he or she will more than likely actually look forward to time spent at the day care facility. Besides playing inside, he or she will probably have outdoor playtime when the weather permits. Your child will be learning social skills by having to take turns when he or she wants to play on the equipment. In addition, don't be surprised when your child even gets to start learning things like numbers and when he or she learns the sounds that the letters of the alphabet make. For day care solutions, consider providers like Paulding Preschool.
